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shadowkat1. Finished watching the newest episode of Grey's Anatomy - which was just wonderful, had a very good cry. Like all tv...it's a mixed bag, but this episode was simply lovely. That show is one of the few that can make me cry. I know, I know, many people see it as sentimental clap-trap. But it's one of my comfort shows. And it's very uplifting in a way, gives me hope. Plus no violence - well very little most of the time. Plus the only show on tv with an multi-racial female and male cast of all shapes, sizes, and ages. And a minority female head-writer. Watching Grey's is a wonderful thing. And I need my "happy shows". This one also provides ways to deal with grief and death...and like all serials it reasserts my faith in god/goddess - a being outside myself and the meaning within the seeming randomness of life's interconnecting pattern of events.
2. Oh great quote from Parenthood:
Drew (Teenage boy who inadvertently saw his mom having sex with his highschool teacher): Mom's just don't have sex.
Sarah (his mom - she's been divorced from his dad for years and he knows she's dating the teacher): And yet here you are.
3. There's this list on some macho hipster blog (clearly written by a guy, although you never know) - which states "Away with thee Harry Potter" and lists all of these books, that he/she/it thinks we should all read:
http://www.shortlist.com/entertainment/the-50-coolest-books-ever
The thing of it is? I've read about half of them. And overrated is an understatement. Or I've read other things by the assorted writers. What is it about people and the "literary canon"? It is not that hard to write pretty prose, folks. Take a few classes. Read a bunch of books. And there you are. What it is HARD to do is write a good story - something that pulls at people's hearts. JK Rowlings wrote a good story, a story that resonated for a mass audience across the gender, age, race, class, etc. None of the people on this list have quite managed that. And come to think of it?
That's what William Shakespeare and Jane Austen accomplished. Why else does everyone keep copying them and reproducing them? Neither were considered hip at the time either - both were "populist" writers. They weren't literary canon when they wrote.
Anyone can write well. Not everyone can tell a story that enthralls and moves a vast audience.
That inspires and pulls at emotion. That grants us a brief respite from our lives and makes us want to lose ourselves completely in the book. If you are "aware" of the writing...than the writer has failed in their task. The writing should fall away, and the story remain...escape completely inside its world. The writing is merely your entry into it - a key to that magical kingdom. Good writing can get you there. Brilliant writing will make you want to keep coming back again and again. Bad writing...you have to fight your way through to get to the door. Of course...all of this is in the eye of the beholder, I think. Which is why these lists and reviews aren't really that useful. Outside of providing suggestions on what may intrigue.
Sigh.
I'm grouchy about the list...it contains at least two books that I wouldn't want to be caught dead owning or admit to reading. (Yet I have read and owned both, sorry to say.) Guess which ones. Also like most of these lists - they are all dark, nasty books, by dark nasty privileged white men who never had to fight for anything. Can we beat them with a pencil, please?
That said...it does have a favorite in Donna Tartt's Secret History. And...I admittedly enjoyed a couple here and there. And yes, own most. I remember reading Trainspotting. But can't remember the book. The movie, however, remains vivid. It was all the rage in the 1990s. This list is clearly put together by an old hipster. Also...Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged?? Seriously? If you have to put an Ayn Rand novel on a list at least pick a halfway decent one such as Anthem or Night of January the 16th...both were short, and had a somewhat logical plot. Everytime someone tells me that Atlas Shrugged is the best book - I find myself pondering their intelligence.
4. Speaking of literature...reading the oddest gothic romance novel. Yes, another Loretta Chase, but I have no idea what to make of it. It's called Captives of the Night - takes place once again in 1828. It's about an exiled Albanian prince who is masquerading as a French Count and is a government agent. Apparently ten years ago...he did some really nasty things, and has to pay for those sins by being an agent for the government. (He illegally bought weapons from the heroines father to overthrow an evil dictator, then got distracted by the daughter of that evil dictator's weapon supplier and British financial supporter...his obsessive love for that daughter...ended up with him pursuing her, ruining the heroine's father (a criminal and weapon's dealer), kidnapping the daughter, getting beaten up, and sent to New South Wales (Australia) - where he was shipwrecked on the way...and ended up in the government's hands and turned into the agent. He reunites with the heroine - when her husband, who he manages to ruin, is killed. Her husband's a nasty piece of work. Right now, my main quibble with it, is the heroine views homosexuality as a sin against nature. Trying to decide if that's the author's take as well - not sure. Don't think it is. Makes sense the heroine sees things that way. As the hero (the Albanian Prince/French Count) states - she's British or English and the English have delicate sensibilities about sex and are a bit silly. True. The English have always been weird about sex - why do you think Americans are weird about it? Talk about repressed. Don't know why this is. Also the heroine thinks sex in general is unsavory - due to her decrepit husband who slept with men and women, and poisoned her brain about her own sexuality and everyone else's. So...since we've been told the heroine is a bit of a prude and has a complex about sexuality...(that's how her hubby damaged her), it makes sense she would over-react to male homosexuality. Also the time period, and well she's British. All of that makes sense to...more or less.
In addition this writer likes to make comments in her stories about sexism, chauvinism, and gender inequality. It's rather refreshing. The writer also has been writing these things since 1985.
The older romance novelists are better than the newer ones. They have more to say, and more plot.
The newer romance novelists seem to just be interested in sex or banter that leads to sex and marriage. The characters feel a bit one-dimensional or stock. Was discussing this with the Momster, whose got inspired to do her own binge, so we've been trading notes. Having tried books written in late 1990s and 21st Century, and older novels - we've both come to the conclusion that the older books have more to them. The newer one's are lacking. Also probably best to avoid anything under $5.
Anyhow...the novel is weird, because the hero was an actual moustach twirling villain. Ten years ago, he was a nasty piece of work. He had his minions drug the heroine and threaten her father with doing her in (she was 17 at the time), to get the guy to talk. Then they drugged him. Then he left both to his minions to do with them whatever they wanted to. He told them not to kill either.
But as he states in retrospect...it's more than possible they ignored his orders, and did so to protect him. Since he didn't stick around to ensure otherwise...The reason? So that he could get information on this woman he was obsessed with at the time. He wanted revenge on the woman, and
her husband. The woman rejected him. He pursued. Kidnapped. And tried to seduce her. She would rather cut her own throat than submit to him. Her husband saved her, and broke his hand and injured him almost fatally. In short he was your typical romantic villain - ten years ago.
Now...he's the gothic hero. And I'm curious how the writer is going to redeem him. He does feel great remorse...and he's helping the heroine in part due to this great remorse. It's all rather intriguing, and quite different than your run of the mill romance. Loretta Chase writes complicated characters. No stock characters here. Another anomaly.
Off to bed to read and hopefully sleep.
2. Oh great quote from Parenthood:
Drew (Teenage boy who inadvertently saw his mom having sex with his highschool teacher): Mom's just don't have sex.
Sarah (his mom - she's been divorced from his dad for years and he knows she's dating the teacher): And yet here you are.
3. There's this list on some macho hipster blog (clearly written by a guy, although you never know) - which states "Away with thee Harry Potter" and lists all of these books, that he/she/it thinks we should all read:
http://www.shortlist.com/entertainment/the-50-coolest-books-ever
The thing of it is? I've read about half of them. And overrated is an understatement. Or I've read other things by the assorted writers. What is it about people and the "literary canon"? It is not that hard to write pretty prose, folks. Take a few classes. Read a bunch of books. And there you are. What it is HARD to do is write a good story - something that pulls at people's hearts. JK Rowlings wrote a good story, a story that resonated for a mass audience across the gender, age, race, class, etc. None of the people on this list have quite managed that. And come to think of it?
That's what William Shakespeare and Jane Austen accomplished. Why else does everyone keep copying them and reproducing them? Neither were considered hip at the time either - both were "populist" writers. They weren't literary canon when they wrote.
Anyone can write well. Not everyone can tell a story that enthralls and moves a vast audience.
That inspires and pulls at emotion. That grants us a brief respite from our lives and makes us want to lose ourselves completely in the book. If you are "aware" of the writing...than the writer has failed in their task. The writing should fall away, and the story remain...escape completely inside its world. The writing is merely your entry into it - a key to that magical kingdom. Good writing can get you there. Brilliant writing will make you want to keep coming back again and again. Bad writing...you have to fight your way through to get to the door. Of course...all of this is in the eye of the beholder, I think. Which is why these lists and reviews aren't really that useful. Outside of providing suggestions on what may intrigue.
Sigh.
I'm grouchy about the list...it contains at least two books that I wouldn't want to be caught dead owning or admit to reading. (Yet I have read and owned both, sorry to say.) Guess which ones. Also like most of these lists - they are all dark, nasty books, by dark nasty privileged white men who never had to fight for anything. Can we beat them with a pencil, please?
That said...it does have a favorite in Donna Tartt's Secret History. And...I admittedly enjoyed a couple here and there. And yes, own most. I remember reading Trainspotting. But can't remember the book. The movie, however, remains vivid. It was all the rage in the 1990s. This list is clearly put together by an old hipster. Also...Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged?? Seriously? If you have to put an Ayn Rand novel on a list at least pick a halfway decent one such as Anthem or Night of January the 16th...both were short, and had a somewhat logical plot. Everytime someone tells me that Atlas Shrugged is the best book - I find myself pondering their intelligence.
4. Speaking of literature...reading the oddest gothic romance novel. Yes, another Loretta Chase, but I have no idea what to make of it. It's called Captives of the Night - takes place once again in 1828. It's about an exiled Albanian prince who is masquerading as a French Count and is a government agent. Apparently ten years ago...he did some really nasty things, and has to pay for those sins by being an agent for the government. (He illegally bought weapons from the heroines father to overthrow an evil dictator, then got distracted by the daughter of that evil dictator's weapon supplier and British financial supporter...his obsessive love for that daughter...ended up with him pursuing her, ruining the heroine's father (a criminal and weapon's dealer), kidnapping the daughter, getting beaten up, and sent to New South Wales (Australia) - where he was shipwrecked on the way...and ended up in the government's hands and turned into the agent. He reunites with the heroine - when her husband, who he manages to ruin, is killed. Her husband's a nasty piece of work. Right now, my main quibble with it, is the heroine views homosexuality as a sin against nature. Trying to decide if that's the author's take as well - not sure. Don't think it is. Makes sense the heroine sees things that way. As the hero (the Albanian Prince/French Count) states - she's British or English and the English have delicate sensibilities about sex and are a bit silly. True. The English have always been weird about sex - why do you think Americans are weird about it? Talk about repressed. Don't know why this is. Also the heroine thinks sex in general is unsavory - due to her decrepit husband who slept with men and women, and poisoned her brain about her own sexuality and everyone else's. So...since we've been told the heroine is a bit of a prude and has a complex about sexuality...(that's how her hubby damaged her), it makes sense she would over-react to male homosexuality. Also the time period, and well she's British. All of that makes sense to...more or less.
In addition this writer likes to make comments in her stories about sexism, chauvinism, and gender inequality. It's rather refreshing. The writer also has been writing these things since 1985.
The older romance novelists are better than the newer ones. They have more to say, and more plot.
The newer romance novelists seem to just be interested in sex or banter that leads to sex and marriage. The characters feel a bit one-dimensional or stock. Was discussing this with the Momster, whose got inspired to do her own binge, so we've been trading notes. Having tried books written in late 1990s and 21st Century, and older novels - we've both come to the conclusion that the older books have more to them. The newer one's are lacking. Also probably best to avoid anything under $5.
Anyhow...the novel is weird, because the hero was an actual moustach twirling villain. Ten years ago, he was a nasty piece of work. He had his minions drug the heroine and threaten her father with doing her in (she was 17 at the time), to get the guy to talk. Then they drugged him. Then he left both to his minions to do with them whatever they wanted to. He told them not to kill either.
But as he states in retrospect...it's more than possible they ignored his orders, and did so to protect him. Since he didn't stick around to ensure otherwise...The reason? So that he could get information on this woman he was obsessed with at the time. He wanted revenge on the woman, and
her husband. The woman rejected him. He pursued. Kidnapped. And tried to seduce her. She would rather cut her own throat than submit to him. Her husband saved her, and broke his hand and injured him almost fatally. In short he was your typical romantic villain - ten years ago.
Now...he's the gothic hero. And I'm curious how the writer is going to redeem him. He does feel great remorse...and he's helping the heroine in part due to this great remorse. It's all rather intriguing, and quite different than your run of the mill romance. Loretta Chase writes complicated characters. No stock characters here. Another anomaly.
Off to bed to read and hopefully sleep.
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no subject
Date: 2012-01-06 09:27 am (UTC)I disagree though that books are only good if they provide an escape from reality. I'm a great fan of escapist literature and if you had told me the same thing as a teenager I would have completely agreed.
These days, naja. I still love books that you can completely submerge yourself in, but I also love those that simply have a different take on reality. Books that point something out or twist something around.
I got Thomas Bernhard's "My Prices" for Christmas and read it in a day. It's a book where the author is telling about all the literature prices he got and how conflicted he is about them. I loved it, though the aim is certainly more to be hyperrealistic than creating a new world.
I think there are very different kinds of books and ways to write books that can be wonderful.
no subject
Date: 2012-01-06 01:23 pm (UTC)I got Thomas Bernhard's "My Prices" for Christmas and read it in a day. It's a book where the author is telling about all the literature prices he got and how conflicted he is about them. I loved it, though the aim is certainly more to be hyperrealistic than creating a new world.
No, I agree. Of course.;-)
What I was trying to say...is, very hard to explain, but - I think writing is merely a means of conveying thought. Whether that be story, or twist, or information, or what have you. Good writing falls away and you don't notice it - you notice what is being conveyed. Bad writing - you have to fight against to find what is being conveyed.
Ayn Rand was a good writer, but a really crappy story-teller. But she also wasn't interested in story. She was interested in philosophy.
no subject
Date: 2012-01-06 07:07 am (UTC)Ditto Dickens - he pretty much wrote soap operas/drama series way ahead of time. (Interesting post, don't have time for a proper response.)
no subject
Date: 2012-01-06 03:22 pm (UTC)And if I had to guess, I'd agree with you. I think the person who made up the list is a guy.
no subject
Date: 2012-01-06 05:01 pm (UTC)So feels like a trendy 20 something or 18 year old guy's list.